This is the fourth in a sports-related series that began with the award-winning The Hockey Sweater. Once again, Carrier portrays with humour and pathos his younger self learning a useful lesson about life.

On a beautiful fall day, Roch and his father drive to the boarding school where, Roch has been assured, he will learn all he needs to know “to travel far in life.” Roch is dubious. He has left his beloved home behind and his new suit is too large. At school, he has to walk into the seminary as part of a silent double line, the food is dreadful, and the dormitory holds 100 beds. Through all these indignities, Roch maintains repeatedly, “I was not crying.” However, being forced to play basketball, a game he hates, is one burden too many. Roch decides to run away. Despite the embarrassment of flowered pajamas, he sneaks out of the school and braves the dark night, which turns out to be full of loud owls and threatening poachers. He endures all this with fortitude but when the poachers throw him into a tent full of animal parts, he admits defeat. Back he goes to the seminary and the dreaded basketball games.

After many practice sessions, in which the kindly old priest encourages him with “You’re making progress,” he finally drops a ball into the basket. But success doesn’t turn Roch into a wildly enthusiastic basketball player. Instead, the story ends on a wry note with one of
Carrier’s trademark subversive twists.

Adding to the charm of the story are Sheldon Cohen’s action-packed illustrations. His primitive style allows an exaggerated view of the young Roch’s fears. Bright circles jump from page to page, becoming first basketballs, then a hundred round heads in the dining hall. In the dark night, the large yellow eye of an owl becomes the piercing beam of the poacher’s flashlight and finally the softer gold of the ball that successfully lands in the basket. Story and illustrations blend seamlessly to make child and adult reader alike empathize with young Roch on his quest for maturity.